SARASOTA, Fla. -- The 34th Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix will attract thousands of fans to see 40 Powerboat teams and 25 AquaX racers, and most spectators will watch from the beach.
But what happens when there isn’t much beach left due to erosion?
“Here’s the beauty of powerboat racing. Once people hear the noise, people are in the water for the most part,” said Lucy Nicandri, festival director.
They’ll have to hit the water. It rolls in around 1:30 Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Aerial photos by the Sarasota Police Department shows beach spots are limited, and that worries environmentalists.
“Beach erosion has caused less beach to be available, and our nesting seabirds is one of the largest colonies in a long time. They’re taking up more space in what is limited space there is,” said Andrea King, supervisor for Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources.
Staff have fenced off the 10,000-square-foot colony of black skimmers to protect 90 nests and 170 chicks from the crowds. Turtles nests have additional fencing too. Barricades and orange fencing are up along dunes to keep beachgoers out.
King said, “Volunteers will be out here throughout the weekend to help educate people to understand why this area is not available.”
If you're heading out to watch the powerboat races, organizers say to pack light and get out early or head to the Dry Pit at the Van Wezel parking lot and watch a live stream of the races.
The “Boats by the Bay” three-day festival opened Friday night.
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